For many fans, SK Telecom’s loss to Samsung Galaxy feels like the end of an era. Faker’s despair after the match, Samsung’s sweep of the finals, and even Longzhu’s sweep of the Korean finals before Worlds all seemed to be showing the fall of legends. But most of that is due to the perceptions around Worlds and the international tournament, not what has been happening for years to the esport.

It should first be pointed out that winning two years in a row – 2015 and 2016 – hardly made SKT immortal. Even though those consecutive wins gave them three Worlds’ titles, SKT won those over hard fought finals. SKT didn’t even qualify for the 2014 Worlds, and their wins in 2015 and 2016 weren’t sweeps of their opponents.

In 2015, against the Koo Tigers, SKT won in a four game series with their final game a dominant 1-13 score, but this was only after losing a game to Koo Tigers 13-29. In 2016, the scores edged much closer together, with SSG pushing SKT to a five game series that very well could have gone either way. As we mentioned previously, this was the same SSG roster that nearly won 2016, so it’s hardly shocking that they managed this win.

But the big question is what this means going into 2018. If anyone is entertaining ideas of Faker going away, they can probably shelf them. Though Faker made mistakes – mostly brought on by the panic of trying too hard to carry his team – he has still shown that he is mechanically the best player in the world. He is also the only member of SKT to never have changed, and one that is likely going to be there for years to come (unless he decides otherwise). Huni, too, performed very well, and it’s likely he’ll keep his spot.

Where SKT failed the most was in Bang and Wolf. While North American teams were focusing on Supports as the new stars, something that translated into the Ardent Censer meta in Worlds, SKT was still trying to play around Faker, and it cost them. Throughout all of Worlds, this duo looked alarmingly weak, constantly falling behind and simply unable to make the big plays that mattered.  This was especially true against Misfits, where clever drafting from the European newcomers utterly destroyed Bang and Wolf.

That could mean that SKT is looking at a roster shift. It’s hard to tell with the newly added Runes though, which will play a huge part in the fates of all new teams. What it really comes down to is if the higher ups in SKT have faith that Bang and Wolf can adapt to the new season. If not, they’ll likely phase them out. One thing is certain though, being the second best team in the world – for one year – hardly means SKT is out. We can probably expect them back at Worlds next year, but maybe with some new faces.